Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Value Similarity And Its Relationship To Interpersonal Relationship Quality And Identity: Perceptions Of Self, Partner, And Ideal Partner, Jennifer G. Clement

Doctoral Dissertations

The exploration of interpersonal relationships has led to the recognition that similarity has played a large role in the relationship quality, e.g. satisfaction, of dyads, specifically romantic dyads. Three categories of similarity have been shown to best predict satisfaction: communication, attitudes, and values. This study examined the actual, perceived, and ideal value similarity of heterosexual romantic dyads at the University of Tennessee and assessed relationship quality which included satisfaction, intimacy, trust, and social provisions. Using stepwise regressions and Pearson Product correlations this study determined that actual, perceived, and ideal value similarity significantly predicted the relationship quality of the individual and …

The Impact Of Role Conceptualization On The Process And Outcomes Of Decision Making In An Educational Context, Scott Richard Turner

Doctoral Dissertations

Research has shown that the traditional conceptualization of Organizational Citizenship Behaviors (OCBs) is not tenable because some employees perceive OCBs to be part of their job or in-role behaviors (Morrison, 1994). Conceptualizing behaviors as in-role has been shown to increase the frequency of the behaviors but no study has investigated whether conceptualization of these behaviors influences the manner in which they are conducted. This study combined findings from OCB research with the Judgment and Decision Making literature in order to identify the impact that role conceptualization had on an ambiguous decision making exercise where the act of making the decision …

Mindfulness: Mediating The Relationship Between Attachment Security And Parenting Style, Ian P. Haag

Doctoral Dissertations

The current project examines the relationships between attachment security, parenting style, and mindfulness. The level of mindfulness an individual demonstrates is argued to mediate the relationship between an individual’s attachment security and her respective parenting style. The population is composed of 35 mothers who were drawn from a university clinic setting. Measures utilized included: the Relationship Questionnaire (RQ), which measures adult attachment security, the Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS), which measures the level of mindfulness an individual demonstrates, and the Parental Authority Questionnaire – Revised (PAQ-R), which measures parenting style attitudes. Results demonstrated no significant relationships between attachment security and …

Relationship Of Broad Versus Narrow Personality Traits To Psychological Sense Of Community In College Students, Katherine Higgins

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of the present study is to further examine the relationship between personality traits and Psychological Sense of Community (PSC). It attempts to confirm previous research findings that indicate a significant relationship between the Big Five traits and PSC. In addition, it seeks to determine whether selected narrow personality traits are significantly related to PSC and whether those traits add incremental validity to the Big Five personality traits in predicting PSC. This study is a secondary analysis of data collected by Resource Associates, Inc between 2003-2005. Participants (N=1468) were students at a large, southeastern university. Results confirmed a positive …

Testing The Spousal Model Of Stress In Healthy Controls, Persons With Multiple Sclerosis And Their Spousal Caregivers, Donna L. Kennedy

Doctoral Dissertations

The current study examined the Spousal Model of Stress in a sample of healthy, married controls (n=52) and a sample of persons with multiple sclerosis and their spousal caregivers (n=51). The Spousal Model of Stress was created by joining together Ruben Hill’s (1958) ABCX Model of Stress and Karney & Bradbury’s (1995) Vulnerability- Stress-Adaptation Model of Marriage. Factors in the Spousal Model include stress, resources/vulnerabilities, perceptions/adaptive processes, and outcomes (marital satisfaction, marital quality, life satisfaction, and depression). The new model revealed that spousal attributions were an important factor in predicting marital quality and marital satisfaction in a group of healthy …

The Manifestation Of Depressed Mood In Student-Athletes And Their Attitudes Toward, Barriers To, And Preferences For Seeking Professional Psychological Help, Renée L. López

Doctoral Dissertations

Student-athletes are thought to be at greater risk for some psychopathologies while underutilizing mental health services. Few studies have explored depression in student-athletes or the reasons behind the resistance to seeking psychological help. The goals of this study were to examine in a nationwide sample of NCAA D-IA and D-IAA student-athletes the (a) manifestation of depressed mood as it relates to gender, injury, injury characteristics (i.e., perceived impact, time in treatment, chronicity), and student-athlete role behaviors (e.g., frequency of skipping events, role strain, self-destructive behaviors) and (b) examine their treatment resistance, perceived barriers to seeking help, and counselor preference should …

A Quantitative Review And Analysis Of The Constructs Underlying Assessment Center Ratings: What Are We Measuring?, John P. Meriac

Doctoral Dissertations

The overarching goal of this study was to clarify what constructs are being measured by assessment centers (ACs). ACs have been used and studied for years, yet have measurement problems that generally center on the use of information at the dimension-level. However, a necessary step in examining this issue has been neglected: a proper delineation of what constructs ACs actually measure. In an attempt to address this issue, this study‟s primary purpose was to explore the factor structure of AC dimensions. Several a priori models from both the AC and job performance literature were examined as frameworks for explicating the …

A Study Of Object Relations Among Self-Injuring And Non-Injuring College Students, Lorrie A. Ness

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to investigate object relational and interpersonal functioning among self-injuring and non-injuring college students. It was hypothesized that self-injury would be associated with more pathological object relational functioning as measured by the Mutuality of Autonomy (MOA) and Social Cognition and Object Relation Scale (SCORS). Additionally, it was hypothesized that self-injurers would evidence significantly more global interpersonal distress on the Inventory of Interpersonal Problems-32 (IIP-32), as well as show elevations in four of the subscales of the IIP-32; self-sacrifice, non-assertiveness, over-accommodation, and interpersonal neediness. Lastly, a number of publications suggest that childhood abuse is a significant …

The Effects Of Exercise Enjoyment And Personality On Mood And Salivary Cortisol With Exercise Activity, Pamela Mary Schweighart

Doctoral Dissertations

The benefits of exercise are extensive; however, the majority of people do not participate in regular exercise. The problems with adherence may be due to personality factors and/or the of enjoyment of exercise. A pilot study was performed with the purpose of examining the relationship between exercise enjoyment and activity and to provide data for the validation of an enjoyment scale.

The purpose of the main study was to examine the relationships between exercise enjoyment, exercise activity, personality, mood, and salivary cortisol as well as the differences between the variables mentioned. Fifty-three students participated (22 male, 31 female; 11 sedentary, …

An Investigation Of The Big Five, Narrow Traits, And Positive Psychology In Relation To Life Satisfaction, Sarah Elizabeth Connor

Doctoral Dissertations

The present research explored the relationship between personality and Life Satisfaction. The Big Five and Narrow Traits have been used to predict Life Satisfaction and Subjective Well-Being. There is a newer movement in psychology explore qualities about the individual that facilitate thriving and happiness, a movement known as Positive Psychology. The associated traits could lead to better prediction of Life Satisfaction. To test the degree to which the Positive Psychology traits better predict Life Satisfaction, upper-class college students took a computer-based Personality Measure. The measure consisted of many sub-scales, including the NEO Five-Factor Personality Measure, Narrow Trait measures, and the …

Psychophathology And Interpersonal Relationships: Clinical Vs. Normative (Non-Patient) Samples, Guy Edlis

Doctoral Dissertations

The centrality of interpersonal relationships in both adaptive functioning and psychopathology is unmistaken. Across the lifespan, individuals are born into, develop within, and manifest their behaviors within a relational context. Within the clinical context, relationships in general and relational problems in particular are often key in defining and describing psychopathology and its etiology. Theory and research regarding the relationship between psychopathology and interpersonal functioning have yielded diverse conceptualizations and multitude of empirical findings, all indicative that psychopathology and interpersonal difficulties are inseparable.

The current study represents an added step in the empirical and conceptual process of clarifying the multi-layered relationship …

The Development And Validation Of The Houston Experience Measure (Hem): A Culturally Sensitive Instrument Measuring Variables Related To Developing Work Drive, Meagan Nicole Houston

Doctoral Dissertations

Developing instruments that are more culturally sensitive and taking a multicultural approach to scale development is encouraged in order to appropriately assess and conduct research with ethnic minorities. African Americans are prone to many negative stereotypes in the world of work which usually involve a lack of work drive and motivation achievement. The present research investigated the differences between African American and European American participants on a culturally sensitive instrument developed for this study and a measure of Work Drive: the Houston Experience Measure (HEM) and the Work Drive Scale.

This study was conducted in three phases. Phase one, the …

Using The Personality Assessment Inventory To Discriminate Among Borderline Personality Disorder, Bipolar Disorder, And Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Shannon Dleen Mullen-Magbalon

Doctoral Dissertations

This study explored the use of the PAI as a tool to help differentiate borderline personality disorder from two other similar and frequently comorbid disorders of bipolar disorder (I & II) and posttraumatic stress disorder. Using discriminant analysis, the PAI profile scale scores of college counseling center clients that had been given one of these three diagnoses were analyzed. The analysis was able to predict group assignment accurately using four particular scores. A discussion of the predictor variables and clinical presentation of these disorders is offered. Support for the use of the PAI as a routine screening tool in college …

Conceptualizations Of Teamwork And Leadership: A Cross- Cultural Analysis, Ioana Mot

Doctoral Dissertations

The present study investigated differences in the conceptualization of teamwork and leadership in two countries with culturally diverse backgrounds, Romania and the United States. We expected to find between-culture differences in the conceptualizations of teamwork and leadership based on cultural antecedents (collectivistic societal and in-group values). We also investigated a potential cultural shift in the Romanian nation, based on age. The conceptualizations of teamwork and leadership were examined and compared using Pathfinder.

The Romanian sample displayed higher collectivistic values than the U.S. sample. A cultural shift was observed in the Romanian nation, such that the younger participants reported lower collectivistic …

A Social Identity Framework For Examining Leadership Schema Congruence: A Multilevel Analysis, Joy T. Oliver

Doctoral Dissertations

Recent leadership research has focused on the importance of implicit leadership theory (ILT) for organizational outcomes (e.g., Epitropaki & Martin, 2005; Hains, Hogg, & Duck, 1997). Specifically, when followers perceive their leader’s trait profile to be closer to the ILTs they endorse (i.e., leadership schema congruence), this results in a number of positive outcomes (e.g., Epitropaki & Martin, 2005; Hains et al., 1997; Martin & Epitropaki, 2001). Although recent leadership research has highlighted the need for multilevel examinations of leadership (Hall & Lord, 1995; Lord & Hall, 1992), no multilevel models of leadership schema congruence have been examined to date. …

An Examination Of The Relationship Between Mindfulness And Aspects Of Personality Structure, Chad R. Sims

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to further the developing understanding of mindfulness and its role in psychological well-being. Although recent studies have examined this construct using various self-report measures, there is a paucity of research concerning the potential impact of mindfulness on unconscious aspects of personality structure as understood in psychodynamic theory. A total of 81 university students were recruited from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and administered several cards from the Thematic Apperception Test, along with two validated self-report measures of mindfulness, and a measure of social desirability. The TAT stories were scored for defensive functioning using the …

Transition Variables And The Personality Assessment Inventory In University Counseling Centers, Lauren K. Shaw

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between transition variables and Personality Assessment Inventory (PAI) profiles of university counseling center clients. If these variables have a significant impact on PAI profiles, then understanding how these variables are related to personality profiles will provide important information for diagnosis and treatment planning. Archival data was reviewed for 838 clients seen at a midsized southeastern university counseling center. Transition variables included international or domestic student status, distance from home, student classification (freshman, sophomore, junior, senior, or graduate), parent education level, and rural or urban classification of hometown. Ethnicity and gender …

The Counselor Color Consciousness Scale: Evidence For Relevance, Reliability, And Validity, Dwight David Tolliver

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of the current investigation was to develop the Counselor Color Consciousness Scale (CCCS) that was constructed based on Ridley’s (1995, 2005) theoretical conceptions of this construct. This study aimed to assess the relevance, reliability, and validity of the CCCS as a scientific tool measuring racial attitudes of white therapists and their work with clients of color. The sample consisted of 73 white therapists in Study 1, and 118 white therapists in Study 2. Both studies used a web survey format.

Overall, the results were noteworthy in several respects. First, the CCCS showed high internal consistency in both studies. …

Person-Organization Fit Perceptions And The Job Choice Process: The Impact Of Supplementary And Complementary Fit On Attitudes, Intentions, And Job Search Behaviors, Shawn Michael Bergman

Doctoral Dissertations

Although there has been a growing interest in studying the effects that Person- Organization fit perceptions have on the job choice process, at least two gaps exist in this literature. First, despite evidence suggesting that both the supplementary and complementary fit traditions should be used together, previous research efforts have focused almost exclusively on supplementary fit. Second, research in the job choice domain has focused mainly on global assessments of Person-Organization fit and has not examined if the different characteristics individuals consider when evaluating their fit with an organization impacts the job choice process. The current study helps to fill …

A Dispositional Model Of Leader Development: The Role Of Core Self-Evaluation, Narcissism And Goal Orientation, Carrie A. Blair

Doctoral Dissertations

Organizations are frequently investing time and money in preparing to develop the leaders within their organizations. Past research has shown that individual differences are generally related to participation in leader development activities, and past research has confirmed that individual difference factors are related to individual propensity to accept feedback. Furthermore, it has been demonstrated that participation and attention to feedback are important. The purpose of this dissertation was to explore two alternative measures of leader development effectiveness (e.g., the quality of leader development goals; correspondence between leader development feedback and leader development goals), and to examine potential dispositional antecedents of …

The Resolution Of Hate: A Meaning Centered Analysis, John M. Daniels

Doctoral Dissertations

The present study analyzed participant descriptions of what it was like to resolve one’s hate toward someone or something. This experience was described as taking place in terms of a structure involving three phases: (1) When I Hated, (2) Resolution of Hate, and (3) After Hate. The first phase, When I Hated, was characterized by four themes: Power, Unjust, Significant, and Not Me. Phase 2, which concerned the Resolution of Hate, was described as a transition period defined by the themes of Choice, Separation/Distance, and Change in Perspective. The final phase, After Hate, was characterized by two themes: Burden Lifted …

Evaluating Frame-Of-Reference Rater Training Effectiveness Via Performance Schema Accuracy, Charles A. Gorman

Doctoral Dissertations

Frame-of-reference (FOR) training has been shown to be an effective intervention for improving the accuracy of performance ratings (e.g., Woehr & Huffcutt, 1994). Despite evidence in support of the effectiveness of FOR training, few studies have empirically addressed the ultimate goal of FOR training, which is to train raters to share a common conceptualization of performance (Athey & McIntyre, 1987; Woehr, 1994). The present study tested the hypothesis that FOR-trained raters would possess schemas of performance after training that are more similar to an expert schema than would control-trained raters. It was also hypothesized that schema accuracy would be positively …

Antecedents Of Entrepreneurial Orientation: A Contingency Approach, Laurent Stephane Josien

Doctoral Dissertations

This research was created in order to offer a better understanding of the entrepreneurial orientation construct. Based on the literature review several antecedents of the entrepreneurial orientation construct were identified: risk, achievement, innovation, locus of control, self-esteem, opportunity, autonomy, proactiveness, and competitive aggressiveness. Relying on the contingency theory developed by Burns and Stalker (1961), it was decided to use the Carland's trichotomy of entrepreneurs as a moderator variable between the antecedents and the entrepreneurial orientation construct. As a result, three main areas of research were identified. The first area deals with determining which dimensions are underpinning the entrepreneurial orientation construct, …

Proactive Behavior: A Selection Perspective, Laura Elizabeth Marler

Doctoral Dissertations

In the 15 years since Bateman and Crant (1993) formulated the construct of proactive personality, numerous researchers have devoted a significant amount of attention to proactive attributes and behaviors (e.g., Parker, Williams, & Turner, 2006; Crant, 2000; Frese & Fay, 2001; Parker, 2000; Erdogan & Bauer, 2005). Campbell's (1990) model of performance suggests that an organization's selection system may ultimately promote proactive behavior. Consequently, in this dissertation, I advocate a selection approach as the initial building block towards creating a workplace in which proactive behavior is a fundamental outcome.

One of the selection tools yet to be explored by researchers …